Every Tuesday night, yoga and pilates come together to help Gusties get fit. Under the instruction of Junior Health and Fitness Major Emma Wilson, Yogalities classes meet at 8:00 p.m. in Room 224 Lund Center.

Classes last about 45 minutes and are accessible to all experience levels.

According to Wilson, a typical class consists of a basic five-minute warm-up followed by 20 minutes of basic yoga poses. Right now the class is working on simple poses like “warrior” and “twisted triangle.” The class then wraps up the workout with 10 minutes of isolated upper and lower body exercises and a few minutes of cool-down.

“It’s a relaxing way to get a workout because it’s not like a strenuous cardio workout,” Junior Psychology Major Laura Kientzle said. The yoga portion of the workout is the relaxing part, she explained, but the pilates portion is “the part that will leave you sore the next day. It’s a good mix of both.”

Kientzle advised that students shouldn’t be under the impression that Yogalities is an easy work-out; “it’s just a different form of working out,” she said.

The classes average 20 students, but Wilson said the classes have been growing as the word has gotten out. If she continues to see an increase in participation, Wilson said they will move to Alumni Hall.

This is Wilson’s first year instructing Yogalities. She started going to classes her sophomore year and then decided to get her certification to teach it this past summer because the instructors from last year graduated. “I want to go into corporate fitness,” she said. “Getting up in front of a group of peers is great experience [for me].”

Teaching Yogalities isn’t just about gaining experience for Wilson, however. “I remember how much I enjoyed [the classes], so I like giving others the opportunity to participate,” she said.

The Yogalities class provides an opportunity for students to participate in an activity that not only benefits the body, but also the mind. “You’re giving your brain a break and working your body instead,” Wilson said.

The class is “also a great break from homework,” Wilson said, “and when you return to your work, you’re more focused.”

Yogalities is one of five exercise classes provided through the Health Majors Club. Others include kickboxing, water aerobics, core and conditioning killer (CCK) and bootcamp. To find out more about these classes, check out the Health Majors Club group on Facebook.